Ammons quick test validity among randomly selected referrals.

After selection using a random number table, from volunteer referrals, 89 Youth (61 boys, 28 girls; 48 African Americans, 2 Asian Americans, 27 Euro-Americans, 12 Hispanic Americans), and 147 Adults (107 men, 40 women; 11 African Americans, 6 Asian Americans, 124 Euro-Americans, 6 Hispanic Americans) were administered the Ammons Quick Test (QT). Means, confidence intervals, standard deviations, and Pearson product-moment correlations among tests were computed. The Ammons QT was moderately to strongly and significantly correlated statistically with: the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-3b (PPVT-3b); the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2 Parent/Teacher Form; the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-4) or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-4); and the Wide Range Achievement Test-Fourth Edition (WRAT-4) Blue and Green Forms.

Delinquency best treatments: how to divert youths from violence while saving lives and detention costs.

Youth development and violence prevention are two sides of the same public policy. The focus of much theoretical and empirical effort is identifying delinquency risks and intervening. Given the great costs of homicide and the historically high nationwide prison population, new policies must address increasing violence and rising expenses.

Violence risk appraisal of male and female youth, adults, and individuals.

Data from youth (n = 1,127), adults (n = 1,595), and individuals (N = 2,722, combined youth and adults) were followed 3 to 12 years in records to develop items to predict abuse, violence, and homicide in these 3 relevant groups for risk appraisal or safety scales. Shao's bootstrapped logistic regression yielded 14 predictors for youth (AUC = .91), 11 for adults (AUC = .

Identification, treatment, and prevention of homicide: fallacies in research, treatment, and policy--a postscript on youth violence.

This postscript conveys lessons learned from the 5 studies by Zagar and colleagues which examined risks for later commission of violence and homicide among abused, violent, and homicidal youth and adults. This set of studies is the first longitudinal data on risks for extreme violence from infancy to adulthood. The 5 articles following these studies consist of a developmental context for risks, historical comparisons of risks for delinquency, analyses of the costs and benefits of actuarial testing and treatment, and a general discussion of the legal issues related to application of testing and treatments.

Accepted legal applications of actuarial testing and delinquency interventions: examples of savings in real-life situations.

Violent crime, especially by youth, is an increasing and costly problem. Zagar and colleagues have described five empirical studies in which youths' and adults' risks were identified and used to predict commission of homicide. The samples were more representative of the most violent modern urban delinquents than samples in previous research from smaller cities.

Cost comparisons of raising a child from birth to 17 years among samples of abused, delinquent, violent, and homicidal youth using victimization and justice system estimates.

Data from youth studied by Zagar and colleagues were randomly sampled to create groups of controls and abused, delinquent, violent, and homicidal youth (n=30 in each). Estimated costs of raising a nondelinquent youth from birth to 17 yr. were compared with the average costs incurred by other youth in each group.

Empirical risk factors for delinquency and best treatments: where do we go from here?

Youth development and prevention of violence are two sides of the same public policy issue. A great deal of theoretical and empirical effort has focused on identification of risk factors for delinquency and development of interventions for general risks. Recent calls for changes in public policy are evaluated here--and challenged--in light of new comprehensive, longitudinal empirical data on urban violent delinquency.

Can violent (re)offense be predicted? Review of the role of the clinician and use of actuarial tests in light of new data.

This article is an evaluation of established actuarial probation-parole tests in light of new data on violent and homicidal behavior. Probation-parole tests originally were developed by observing risks related with recidivism or return to court after release (i.e.

An empirical theory of the development of homicide within individuals.

There have been many attempts to explain violent behavior, identify its causes, and predict its occurrence among youth and adults. Research and theoretical constructions have dealt with such far-ranging aspects as childhood health, peer and parental interactions, neuropsychological function, school and community support, and substance use and dependency. Theories have tended to focus on one or a few of these aspects, but there is an effort by many researchers to converge on an integrated approach.

Comparing early and late twentieth-century Boston and Chicago male juvenile offenders: what changed?

To investigate changes in characteristics of delinquents over time, randomly selected contemporary delinquents (Zagar, et al., 1980-1988; n=2,031) were compared with 3 historical Chicago and Boston samples (Healy & Bonner, 1909-1915, n=2,000; Healy & Bonner, 1917-1923, n=2,000; Glueck & Glueck, 1917-1922, n=1,000). All underwent physical, psychiatric, psychological, school, and social examinations.

Looking forward in records of young adults convicted of sexual homicide, rape, or molestation as youth: risks for reoffending.

To assess the risks predicting reoffense, 223 Rapists (M age = 14.2 yr., SD = 1.

Looking forward in records of young adults who were convicted of homicide or assault as youth: risks for reoffending.

To assess risks of violent offending in young adults, 425 Delinquent Assaulters (M age = 14.1 yr., SD = 1.

Looking forward and backward in records for risks among homicidal youth.

To identify risks for commission of homicide, 26 convicted Homicidal Youth (M age = 14.9 yr., SD = 1.

Looking forward in records of youth abused as children: risks for homicidal, violent, and delinquent offenses.

To study risks of abuse, violence, and homicide, 181 Abused Children (M age = 12.85 yr., SD = 2.

Looking forward in records of youth abused as infants: risks for homicidal, violent, and delinquent offenses.

To study risks for abuse and later homicidal behavior, 192 abused infants (M age = 3.12 yr., SD = 1.

Summary of studies of abused infants and children later homicidal, and homicidal, assaulting later homicidal, and sexual homicidal youth and adults.

To study the risks of abuse, violence, and homicide, 5 studies of groups at risk for violence are summarized. 192 Abused Infants, 181 Abused Children, 127 Homicidal Youth, 425 Assaulters, 223 Rapists, and 223 Molesters were randomly selected and tracked in court, probation, medical, and school records, then compared with carefully matched groups of Controls and (in older groups) Nonviolent Delinquents. In adolescence or adulthood, these groups were classified into Later Homicidal (N=234), Later Violent or Nonviolent Delinquent, and Later Nondelinquent subgroups for more detailed comparisons.

Introduction to a series of studies on abused, delinquent, violent, and homicidal youth and adults.

To study the risks of abuse and homicide, 5 studies of unique groups of abused, delinquent, violent, homicidal, and criminal cases representing ages from infancy to adulthood are presented with areas (AUCs) under the receiver operating curves (ROCs) and odds ratios (OR) for commission of homicide. Delinquent samples compared show changes in risks since the early 1900s. Probation-parole tests contrasted reformed offenders with recidivists.